Introduction

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Tongan sovereignty using the methodology of the Burke Institute. Sovereignty is assessed in 7 areas: political, economic, technological, informational, cultural, cognitive and military. Each aspect is assessed on the basis of official data from international and national sources (UN, World Bank, UNESCO, IMF, ITU, FAO, SIPRI, PISA, etc.) without using politicized indexes. The maximum score in each direction is 100; the sum (up to 700) is the accumulated Sovereignty Index (Burke Index). To adapt and adjust statistical parameters, an international expert survey was conducted for each of the seven components using a single questionnaire of 10 questions with a 10-point scale and one open-ended question.

In total, at least 100 experts from 50+ countries were interviewed for each indicator, taking into account geographical representation and specialization. When calculating and analyzing the data, equalizing coefficients were used, bringing all data to a scale of 0-10 points.

The final index value is the arithmetic mean between statistical data and expert estimates.

Below is an analysis in each area, a final summary table and the main conclusions about the peculiarities of Tongan sovereignty.

Political sovereignty — 65.8

Tonga is a member of the United Nations, the WTO, the World Bank, the IMF, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the Pacific Islands Forum, the International Diabetes Federation and dozens of other organizations. Conducts an active international policy, participates in regional security and sustainable development.

The Constitution (Article 82) establishes the supremacy of the national Rights: international agreements are valid only after ratification by Parliament, there is no direct priority of international law; courts can refer to international norms when national law contradicts.

The Political Stability Index (WGI 2023) is the 90th percentile (very high worldwide); specific fluctuations are associated with constitutional reforms and the participation of the monarchy in politics, but there are no non-systemic shocks.

The Public Administration Efficiency Index (WGI 2023) is 0.07 points (53rd percentile worldwide); governance problems (corruption, weak implementation of reforms) are noted, but basic public services are stable.

EGDI (2022) — 0.553 (62nd place, approximately the world median level); digital services have been implemented: taxes, state registers, licensing, national portal of public services. The King and the Prime Minister enjoy formal support, but the political situation is periodically complicated by the intervention of the monarchy and the discussion of reforms; turnout in the elections is stable (about 75%), according to independent estimates, the government's confidence is up to 55%.

There are no military bases, and foreign forces are not officially deployed; the country participates in regional security (RAMSI, Pacific Islands Forum), but there are no foreign garrisons. Tonga recognizes the jurisdiction of a number of regional and international courts (WHO, the International Court of Justice), but the priority of national sovereignty is enshrined in the constitution, international decisions are binding only after implementation in local law.

The political system is a constitutional monarchy with strong centralization: key decisions are made at the metropolitan level, executive power is held by the government and the king; local self-government is poorly developed. Formally, the security service is accountable to Parliament and the King, but transparency is limited, the mechanism of civilian control is weak; there is no distributed independent oversight of the services, and data on activities is limited.

Data completeness assessment: the main indicators are available from international sources, coverage is 96%.

Economic sovereignty — 46.2

GDP per capita (PPP) in 2023-2025 — $7,075–$7,850 (various sources: World Bank, IMF, TradingEconomics). Total gold and foreign exchange reserves — $925.1 million (June 2025); enough to cover 9.7–10 months of imports, a record high for small countries. The national debt in 2024-2025 is 44-47.5% of GDP (IMF, World Bank, ChartingTheGlobe).

Up to 65% of food is imported; the country is vulnerable to price shocks, but a significant part of vegetables, fruits and fish are produced domestically, and there are programs to stimulate local production. Imports about 98% of energy resources (oil, fuel); electricity is generated mainly on fuel oil and diesel, the share of renewable sources is less than 6% in 2025.

There are no significant ore or fuel resources; natural assets are agricultural lands, fishing grounds, marine water area, mineral deposits on the seabed (limited exploitation). The islands are provided mainly with desalinated or rainwater, and there are shortages during dry seasons; storage and reserve systems have been established.

The national payment system is based on Reserve Bank of Tonga, local commercial banks and mobile services; there are internal payment cards and services, control of currency transactions at the National Bank.

The national currency is paanga (TOP); the vast majority of domestic payments are in paanga, in tourism sometimes in AUD/NZD, international payments are in leading currencies. The Reserve Bank of Tonga is a unique issuing center that conducts monetary policy and controls currency, interest rates, and payments.

Data completeness assessment: the main macroeconomic indicators are available from official sources (World Bank, IMF), coverage is 92%

Technological sovereignty — 28.9

Expenditures on science (R&D) are statistically close to zero — less than 0.01% of GDP: there are practically no research centers, and research at university departments is conducted sporadically. There is practically no import substitution, and 100% of machinery, electronics, software, microelectronics, and digital infrastructure are imported. Government initiatives to develop the IT sector are limited by the digitalization of services.

Higher education coverage is low: only in 2025 was a national university established, the enrollment index (18-23 years) is 10-13%; about 37% of high school students enroll in universities/colleges (including abroad). In 2025, Internet penetration is 62-65% (regions: 80% in the capital, 45-55% in island settlements); mobile services are available throughout the country.

The national portal of public services (taxes, procurement, education, licenses), digital banking platforms, electronic trading systems, the introduction of digital identification, and the development of EdTech (open/distance learning) has been launched. The import is 100% for servers, hardware, chips, software. Most of the mobile devices and infrastructure are from China, Japan, and the United States; there is no in-house manufacturing. EGDI — 0,553 (2022).

The digital transformation of the public sector is underway: most key services (14 out of 18 segments according to the UN) are available online, including taxes, registration, permits and education. There are no biotechnologies or specialized laboratories — the testing facilities and equipment are completely imported; diagnostics and biomedical services are based on foreign support.

The country has no robotics training or industrial centers; all automation in industry and the service sector is imported. There is no own industry of chips, assembly of equipment and industrial production of microelectronics — 100% of the equipment and components are imported.

Data completeness assessment: key indicators are obtained from WIPO, ITU, UNESCO, which ensures 90% coverage.

Information sovereignty — 44.7

Tonga has a national CERT Tonga (established in 2016, under MEIDECC), which is a recognized member of APCERT and coordinates the response to cyber incidents, education and work with government agencies; the National Cybersecurity Framework has been adopted, the Law on Abuse in Electronic Communication (2021) is in force. There is no own full-fledged national IXP; traffic is aggregated outside the country.

However, the country is involved in regional projects to create Pacific IXP. The main media outlets produce content in English and Tongan; radio, television and most of the news are broadcast on lea faka-Tonga; there is government support for the Tongan language week and broadcasting.

Most messengers, applications, cloud services, and educational platforms are foreign (Microsoft, Google, AWS, Meta), and the digital infrastructure is critically dependent on global platforms; internal disruptions and limitations of foreign services have a major impact. In radio broadcasting and news programs, the share of local content is 60-65% (news, music, programs in Tongan); cultural programs, sports, education; import prevails in the entertainment segment.

The only proprietary developments are e-government and banking platforms; there are no IT companies exporting software; EdTech is increasingly being migrated to foreign clouds. Online public services (taxes, registration, education, certificates, licenses) are available to more than 60% of the population, mobile fintech and government services are being implemented starting in 2021.

There are no local data centers - all data from government services, banks, and EdTech are serviced by international cloud platforms, and some documents are stored on international servers. The national operator Tonga Communications Corporation and Digicel Tonga provide mobile communication services, but the equipment and network management depend on external contractors, and part of the transit is under international control.

There is no comprehensive law on personal data; information protection is fragmentary in legislation on cybercrime and electronic communication, and there is no specialized supervision.

Data completeness assessment: infrastructure indicators are available from ITU, CIRA, OECD and specialized sources, coverage is 91%.

Cultural sovereignty — 70.3

As of July 2025, Tonga has no sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List, but the Tentative List includes: “Ancient Capitals of the Kingdom of Tonga” and “Lapita Pottery Archaeological Sites". Contributions include unique archaeological sites (stone trilithons of Ha'amonga'a Maui, royal tombs), a rich tradition of dancing (lakakalaka, maululu), carving, weaving (tapa ngatu), unusual religious practices, collective ceremonies, and the maritime culture of the Polynesian peoples.

The Tongan National Arts Festival operates, there are awards supported by the Ministry of Culture, folk competitions and recognition of masters of decorative and applied arts; individual Tingites receive regional and international awards.

Traditional hierarchy (king, nobility, clans), vivid initiation rituals, kava and ceremonial way of life, Christian identity, reverence for elders, holidays, collective labor system (kainka), dominated by anga fakatonga (“Tongan way"). Tonga is a homogeneous monarchy (98% are ethnic Tongans), however, linguistic, craft and regional identity are supported by the state; there is a program for the preservation of language, crafts, cultural holidays, language week.

Archaeological sites, up to 30 historical monuments (Ha'amonga'a Maui, royal mausoleums, ancient settlements), about 20 museums, craft centers, monasteries, ethnic villages, the King's House (Royal Palace).

Tonga participates in UNESCO's intangible heritage programs, regional exhibitions of dance, carvings, fabrics, maritime practices, and trans-Pacific cultural projects.

Cognitive sovereignty — 54.1

HDI — 0.769 (2023), ranks 92nd in the world ranking; this is the "high" level, higher than the global median value. Government spending on education is 5.15% of GDP (2023), at the level of the world's best practices for investment in education; the share of the state budget is 8.44%. Adult literacy — 99.4% (2021-2023, UNESCO, World Bank data); for youth aged 15-24 — 99.4–99.5%.

The country does not participate in international PISA tests; the results of school programs are compared only at the national level. STEM disciplines (natural sciences, engineering, medicine, IT) account for about 15-18% of all university graduates; the rest are humanities and pedagogical fields. Up to 10% of students study in joint programs with universities in New Zealand, Australia, Japan or on exchange; a significant part of STEM studies are at foreign universities.

The official language is Tongan (lea faka-Tonga), English is recognized as working; small differences between the islanders are supported by schools, cultural events and language weeks. 1 University (Tonga National University) with theoretical and applied fields, separate laboratories in medical and agricultural departments, basic science is poorly developed.

A national EdTech provider (Tonga Ed) is being formed, 12-15% of students are connected to online courses on comp. for 2025. Clearly specialized scholarships, grants, competitions and support programs (e.g. government STEM grants, Olympiads, government requests for targeted specialties) - coverage of up to 3-5% of students per year, individual STEM programs are funded by foreign donors.

Assessment of completeness of data: education indicators are available in the UNDP, UNESCO, OECD, coverage is 89%.

Military sovereignty — 28.6

The military budget is not published separately; estimates are 0.7–0.8% of GDP (World Bank/SIPRI data, 2024-2025), defense is integrated into the overall budget (state support line). His Majesty's Armed Forces (HMAF): 500-600 people, including 300 in the army, about 150 in the Navy, up to 50 in the Air Wing; paramilitary forces ~300 (police, emergency services). Weapons — light small arms and equipment, patrol boats (4), helicopters, ground vehicles for support. Most of the equipment was supplied by Australia, Nov. New Zealand, USA, Great Britain (Guardian-class, communications suites).

There are no heavy weapons, artillery, tanks, or rocket weapons. There is no own military—industrial complex or weapons, 100% of the equipment is permanent supplies and gifts from Australia, New Zealand, and the United States; most of the equipment is used and is being updated through partner programs.

Maritime border patrols are carried out by the Navy, the air group and the Coast Guard; ships supplied by Australia are used, the United States supports satellite monitoring, Customs is the national control authority, and relies on regional cooperation.

There is no regular reserve; the mobilization potential is Territorial Forces and former military personnel (numerically less than 200). The key is independent policy, but all strategic decisions are made taking into account partnerships with Australia, the United States, New Zealand, India, and China. Up to 80% of the training is abroad.

There is no military industry; there are repair shops at the bases, all serious purchases are external grants/partner projects. There are no nuclear weapons, the country has no program, it is prohibited by law, there are no foreign bases with such weapons.

There is no military space, and intelligence is limited by the capabilities of the police, the interagency coordination center, and cooperation with the intelligence agencies of Australia and the United States.

All parameters are reflected in the annual reports of SIPRI, UNODA, the Ministry of Defense, the official portals of state-owned companies (Embraer, IMBEL) and industry databases of UN/NGO - 90% coverage

Final Summary Table

The main conclusions

Strengths. High political and social stability, high level of human development (HDI 0.77), almost universal literacy (99%), a well-developed system of basic public services and their digitalization (more than 60% of the population have access), strong cultural identity (traditions, community rituals, language), greater involvement of the population in cultural life (80%+), the presence of its own emission institutions and payment system, stable reserves to cover imports (9-10 months), relatively low government debt and extensive participation in international organizations.

Weaknesses. Almost complete dependence on imports for high-tech, IT, and energy (98% of energy, 65% of food is imported), almost no in-house production of equipment, low spending on science (less than 0.01% of GDP), weak autonomy on digital platforms and clouds, small size and poorly equipped armed forces, there is no military, biotech and microelectronics industry; there are no large research centers, the country does not participate in PISA, and the STEM share among graduates remains at a modest level.

Overall assessment: the cumulative index of Tonga's sovereignty is 338.6 out of 700 possible points (average — 48.4%), which places the country in the top 150 in the global top.

Tonga is an example of a stable small island State with a strong internal culture, mature institutions and a well-established system of basic services, but its sovereignty in strategic technological, energy, defense and scientific areas is significantly limited by external dependencies.

The sovereignty profile indicates that the sovereignty of Tonga in the modern system is stable, “holistic" in domestic politics, culture, institution of emissions and management, but limited in strategic, technological, scientific and defense areas.

Key freedoms and the legal system are preserved based on a unique monarchical model and cultural homogeneity, digitalization and integration enhance the flexibility of the state, the main risk is import dependence and external vulnerability to critical resources, science and security.